Dr. Laurie used to dread boredom and would do anything—binge watch bad TV, take on extra work, snack endlessly—to avoid it. But boredom is actually an incredibly useful tool to boost our happiness and creativity. With the help of leading boredom experts, Dr. Laurie learns how to embrace doing nothing and finds that in the midst of tedium our brains can come up with amazing breakthrough ideas. 

Experts Mentioned:
- Blaise Pascale, 17th-century French philosopher 
- Dr. Sandi Mann, Senior Psychology Lecturer, University of Lancashire
- Dr. Jonathan Schuller, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC Santa 

Resources Mentioned:
- “Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind,” (Science, 2014)
- “Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form," (Assessment, 2017) 

Related Episodes of "The Happiness Lab":
- "Reconnect with the Moment"
- "The Surprising Science of Creativity"
- "You Only Live Once... So Commit"

Dr. Laurie used to dread boredom and would do anything&mdash;binge watch bad TV, take on extra work, snack endlessly&mdash;to avoid it. But boredom is actually an incredibly useful tool to boost our happiness and creativity. With the help of leading boredom experts, Dr. Laurie learns how to embrace doing nothing and finds that in the midst of tedium our brains can come up with amazing breakthrough ideas. Experts Mentioned: - <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal/">Blaise Pascale</a>, 17th-century French philosopher - <a href="https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/academics/sandi-mann">Dr. Sandi Mann</a>, Senior Psychology Lecturer, University of Lancashire - <a href="https://schuller.cnsi.ucsb.edu/people/jon-schuller">Dr. Jonathan Schuller</a>, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UC Santa Resources Mentioned: - &ldquo;<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330241/">Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind</a>,&rdquo; (Science, 2014) - &ldquo;<a href="https://www.carepatron.com/files/boredom-proneness-scale.pdf">Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form</a>," (Assessment, 2017) Related Episodes of "The Happiness Lab": - "<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/reconnect-with-the-moment">Reconnect with the Moment</a>" - "<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/the-surprising-science-of-creativity-with-dr-george-newman">The Surprising Science of Creativity</a>" - "<a href="https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/you-only-live-once-so-commit">You Only Live Once... So Commit</a>"

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale -- the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history -- Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

How to Stop Avoiding Boredom and Embrace Doing Nothing 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9e611b57-ec44-47a6-a56a-b17300b827e2/transcript